March 16, 2023

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As spring approaches, we have added another opportunity to participate in a CWS Essentials learning opportunity. We held two successful sessions back in January, but many of you could not participate due to competing commitments, so we scheduled another session on April 22. We hope to see many of you next month! 

— Joe Gall, Chief Utility Relations Officer

CWS Expands Water Reuse Infrastructure

CWS has developed one of the largest and most innovative water reuse programs in the state. Each year, our water resource recovery facilities clean more than 24 billion gallons of water to near drinking water standards. Most of the cleaned water is released back into the Tualatin River, cleaner than the river water itself, but millions of gallons are reused for irrigation each year — serving as an additional and dependable water supply resource. 

As our community grows and we anticipate the impacts of climate change, the expansion of water reuse will play a vital role in meeting our future needs. In fact, you can see some of that expansion in action: CWS is installing a pipeline along River Road to bring reuse water to our customers for irrigation. The project begins at our Rock Creek Water Resource Recovery Facility and heads southeast along the southwest side of the road. Construction will continue until May 2023. 

Working Together to Protect Our Waterways 

Protecting our environment and public health is a community effort — as demonstrated recently by receptive local business owner, the City of North Plains, and Clean Water Services’ Environmental Services staff. 

A CWS employee who lives in North Plains was walking her dog on a public trail near a tributary of McKay Creek where CWS has Protected Natural Area signs posted. She noticed an oil sheen on the surface water coming from the edge of a local business lot heading toward the creek, and snapped a few photos to send via the CWS Report a Problem webpage. Environmental Services quickly forwarded the photos to the City of North Plains, as any response would be under its jurisdiction. 

The City of North Plains Public Works department worked with the business owner to solve the issue with assistance from CWS Environmental Services, who went out to the location to help identify effective cleanup actions. The business owner took on all the cleanup activities, replaced all driveway gravel, paid disposal costs, and added a bark waddle as an added protection barrier. The problem was handled with great speed and cooperation, thanks to staff sharing information about the impacts of pollution on the creek and its tributary.